Stage 8 – Message Detail

Landing the Conclusion

/ Peter Mead / 4 Comments

It has been said that you can recover from a poor introduction, but not from a poor conclusion.  That is true, although we shouldn’t think that introductions aren’t important.  They are.  But conclusions are too.  There have been previous posts touching on conclusions, but I’d like to give this important sermon element some specific focus.  I know this is one of the weaker areas of my own preaching.  So here are some thoughts that may be helpful to you and to me!

Prepare the landing before take-off – Somehow the whole sermon as an aeroplane journey metaphor seems to work particularly well here.  You wouldn’t want a pilot to take off and then try to figure out how to land.  Before preaching the sermon give some dedicated focus to how, when and where you will land the sermon.

Land once – There are few things as uncomfortable as coming in to land and then lurching up again for another try.  Yet preachers so often put people through that experience.  It seems to be close to the end, then suddenly you’re in the air again, making another attempt.  Maybe it is a better attempt, but the discomfort felt while grabbing for the paper bag usually outweighs any special view created by the extra landing attempt.

Land early – Listeners may complain politely if you finish early, typically along the lines of, “You should have gone on longer, I could listen to you all day!”  (Or some other nicety you shouldn’t test or really believe.)  But if you go long, then distractions mount exponentially and complaints will be of a different nature.  Sometimes the accepted time can be ignored, but typically it is better to finish within the time constraints (remember the nursery volunteers with screaming children who are not experiencing the spiritual moment with the congregation!)  Haddon Robinson suggests finishing two sentences before people expect you to.  Leaving people wanting more is not about your own ego, it is about leaving the heart and brain engaged and affected, rather than turned off and inwardly rushing for “normal life.”

Conclusions are important, let’s give them more thought.  Any more plane analogy ideas for landing?  Or just plain old input on conclusions?

Carefully Communicate Compelling Characters

/ Peter Mead / 4 Comments

As preachers we always run the risk of preaching in black and white. We read a biblical text, compile the facts and preach them. Biblical writers wrote in a time where detail concerning characters in the narrative was sparse to say the least. We don’t read physical descriptions very often, other details are usually lacking and a character’s character is often only hinted at. Yet today we preach in a world where character detail and description are much more prominent (in advertising images, commercials, dramas, movies, etc.)

Warning! – The danger here is that we preach from the biblical lack of detail in a manner that resembles an abstract or colorless lecture. We can easily preach messages that people don’t relate to, can’t connect with and probably won’t be touched by.

Possibility! – The text often does give us more than we may at first notice. So with a little extra work and care, perhaps we can preach narrative texts in a more compelling and gripping way.

Definitely! – First we must be sure to make the most of whatever the text does give us. Don’t skim over a physical description, or the meaning of a name, or dialogue from their lips, or any other statement regarding the person.

Carefully! – Typically the text will not give enough information to build a full profile of a character. But carefully proceed to build more of a profile if you can. Consider all pertinent biblical, historical and cultural information. In areas where there is no possible certainty, perhaps suggest possibility without being definite. “Perhaps he felt . . . or was . . . or wanted . . .”

Remember that your goal is to preach the idea of the text with relevance to your listeners. Don’t get sidetracked into endless character profiling like an obsessive detective in a crime drama. Of course, facts are critically important. However, remember that lectures can be boring, but characters in dramas are compelling.

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Integrity in Directions You Give

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Yesterday morning I set out early to drive across the country to a church where I was scheduled to preach. I’d checked the journey on the internet and knew I needed to allow 2.5 or 3 hours. I got in the car and programmed the GPS (SatNav if you’re British!) with the postal code of my destination. Finally it was ready to navigate and told me I’d arrive at my destination at 7:41pm. That was a little after the 10:30am meeting I was supposed to preach at! So I checked the map and reviewed the turns. It took me to the south coast and along a little ways, but then directed me to catch a ferry over to the island of Guernsey (by France), then to catch another one back to another port. 10 hours at sea to progress half an hour along the same coast! I decided to trust the map on this occasion.

As preachers, at some level or other, people look to us for direction and guidance in life. Our task is to relevantly teach and apply the Bible to our listeners. There are two dangers to avoid, or maybe only one:

1. Don’t make it too complicated, be honest. People are not helped by complicated instructions that are hard to follow. Whether we are explaining how to resolve a conflict, how to pray, how to have personal devotions, how to make big decisions in life, etc. Whatever the “how-to” might be (and this is by no means suggesting every message should be or have a “how-to” element), we should be honest, but not unnecessarily complicated. This is not a time to impress people with overly detailed strategies. However . . .

2. Don’t make it too simple, be honest. I’d love my GPS unit to give me short-cuts, but only if they actually worked. Telling me I could get to somewhere in 10 minutes is no help when it will be a three-hour drive. When preaching it is easy to over-simplify and make unhelpful promises. Just do this and you will deal with all that pain. Just do such and such and it will be taken care of. False promises hurt people. When false promises don’t work, someone will get the blame. Maybe the preacher, maybe the person themselves for their own lack of faith, or maybe God. None of these options help. But really any blame for false promises rest with us.

When it comes to application, direction and instruction. Be honest. Don’t over-complicate and don’t over-promise. Don’t be dishonest. Be honest.

Preaching Inside the Fence – Part 2

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Several days ago I suggested the image of preparing and preaching within a low fence. I’d like to suggest a reason for doing so that may not be immediately obvious. Very simply, you will enjoy the preaching process more. Let me give another example:

Almost four years ago the church I was involved in was working it’s way through Luke. I had Easter Sunday morning. It was tempting to read Luke, but essentially preach Paul. You know how it is, so simple to revert to the terminology, ideas and focus of a passage like 1st Corinthians 15. I resisted the temptation and erected a low fence. I studied within Luke’s writings. I saturated my preparation with Luke and worked to prepare a deliberately Lukan message. I didn’t want to just preach the resurrection, I wanted to preach Luke’s account of the empty tomb and risen Christ. I tried to grasp the significance and focus of the carefully written account in his gospel. I tried to use Luke’s terminology and present his concept of salvation. I wanted to preach in Luke’s language rather than Paul’s or John’s.

The message went well as far as I could tell. One discerning listener commented on the deliberate Luke language. Probably everyone else missed it. That didn’t matter. The big idea was as good as I could get from the text, the relevance was as deliberate and concrete as possible, the big things were what mattered. But for me, as the preacher, the attention to fine detail like choice of terminology made the study both exacting and rewarding. I felt like I’d tasted something of Luke’s great gospel in a way that I could so easily have bypassed.

I got a taste for preaching with a fence that day, and I’ve continued to do so whenever possible. I’d encourage you to try it if you haven’t already. Take the opportunity to push yourself deeper in whatever book you are preaching. It’s easy to revert to default thoughts from elsewhere, but you’ll enjoy it more if you don’t!

A Low Fence

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

When you have a single text for a sermon, you also need a fence.  The fence is there to keep you from wandering too far away from your focus.  

Erect a fence for the passage – last night my preaching text was Hebrews 13:20-21, the final benediction.  I erected a fence around the book of Hebrews.  That fence meant that I kept my study in Hebrews and my presentation in Hebrews.  

Study inside the fence – So what did the writer mean by the reference to “Shepherd,” “the will of God,” and “pleasing”?  While naturally my mind might jump to Psalm 23, John 10 and other passages all over the canon, I tried to stay within the fence.  The best evidence of authorial intent would be found in Hebrews.  By staying there I discovered the unity of 13:1-21 as a follow-on to 12:28, which shed light on “pleasing.”  By staying there I discovered the unity of the final section with parallels to the end of chapter 10, which shed light on “the will of God.”  Staying within the fence kept the focus for study.

Preach inside the fence – It is always tempting to present the sermon in the terms you prefer.  I tried to preach in Hebrews terminology.  Instead of talking about our “vertical spirituality” as loving God (as I would by default, very Johannine), I instead spoke of worshipping God – very Hebrews.  References to a pilgrimage of faith, toward a heavenly city, not shrinking back, shame, the joy set before, Jesus’ being led up from the dead, and so on.  All terminology appropriate for a sermon on Hebrews.  I also tried to refer to the writer as the preacher to the Hebrews rather than the standard writer to the Hebrews.

You only need a low fence – I am not suggesting that you study or preach a book in complete isolation from the other inspired texts.  I am suggesting you honor the author of the book in both your study and presentation.  So to understand “Shepherd” I had to be aware of at least Isaiah 63:11 in the LXX, although the addition of “Great” is very much a Hebrews idea.  And to see that God is pleased with the two-part sacrifice of vertical and horizontal spirituality naturally sets up a brief comment about the greatest commandment(s), John’s first epistle, etc.  The fence does not preclude very helpful study in Old Testament quotes and allusions, nor the opportunity to point out the consistency of idea across New Testament books.  The low fence is there to honor the author, thereby helping you study better, and present more faithfully.

High-Calibre Listener, Beware!

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

True expository preacher is not just about convictions regarding the Bible. It also involves convictions in relation to the congregation, the listeners. As a preacher you are committed to bringing God’s message from God’s Word to the people God has prepared and brought together for a particular service. Giving attention to both sides of the bridge, to use the metaphor Stott popularized, means awareness of the listeners as well as the text.

Typically a good awareness of the listeners will help you to preach relevantly. But beware of one type of listener – those you perceive to be “high-calibre.” I don’t like that term and only use it in the absence of a better alternative. What I mean is anyone whose presence tempts you to either feel intimidated or to show-off. Perhaps a well-known guest, or a seminary professor, or a published theologian. There are others too that could be listed. One of the blessings of studying preaching at Gordon-Conwell is to have to preach with Haddon Robinson in the room . . . and you’d better believe that feels intimidating at first!

In these situations everything in our flesh may cry out to try to impress them. Perhaps more erudite language, or complex thought patterns, or the old favorite – name dropping. Don’t. Intimidation or temptation to show-off is distraction from the purpose of preaching. Attempts to impress will usually fail. These kinds of people actually want real ministry, not posing. More than that, these kinds of people need real ministry. It doesn’t matter whether someone has a PhD in theology or flunked out of school early. What matters is that you are preaching before the God of the universe, and before people who need Him. Be aware of the listeners, but beware of any listeners who might tempt you to lose sight of your Audience of One, and the fact that everyone there needs to hear from Him.

The Path to Preaching With Passion?

/ Peter Mead / 5 Comments

It is easy to fake pulpit passion. All you have to do is raise the voice, pound the fists, point the finger, grimace a little and before you know it, you have fake pulpit passion. But what does it take to have genuine passion? And why would you want it?

Why? Because genuine passion marks deeply. Genuine passion is contagious, people catch it. It is commanding, people aren’t easily distracted from it. It is convicting, people have hearts changed by it. It is challenging, people see their apathy wilt under it. Genuine passion marks people deeply. (Just in case you’re tempted to fake it, remember that fake passion is off-putting, embarrassing, ineffectual and counter-productive.)

How? Genuine passion is a spiritual dynamic. It all seems to come down to, and flow from, the heart. A heart captivated by a passionate God. A heart filled with the Word of God. A heart walking in step with, beating in time with, the Spirit of God. A heart moved with compassion for the people to whom it will preach. Gripped by God, saturated in the Word, filled with the Spirit, and crystal clear on the urgency of the task of preaching that particular text to those particular people at that particular time. A genuinely passionate preacher is truly a potent tool in God’s hands.

All this is not to say that relaxed or carefully casual delivery is wrong. I often use both and see others doing so effectively. But there is also a time for allowing the passion to show. May God give us the wisdom to know when.

Do They Know That You Know?

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

The preacher must build confidence in the listeners; confidence that the preacher knows the message, knows how it will progress and knows when it will end.

Structure of Message – If the message is deductive, then the main idea is stated early. Confidence can be built by an effective preview of the message. Even something as simple as, “So we will see four things in this text that prove this is true.” If people know there are four “things” to get through, they won’t worry if the first point takes a while and covers only the first verse of a fifteen verse text. The more you preview, the harder you have to work to create tension and desire to listen, but don’t think you’re adding great tension by omitting a preview. You’re only undermining confidence in you. With an inductive message you also need to preview, only you cannot give away as much. But no preview will feel like a wander in the woods blindfolded, and most people don’t prefer that experience. Make sure they know that you know where you are going!

Transitions in the Message – It is hard to put too much work into the transitions. These key moments in the message allow opportunity for reorientation to the main idea or the subject of the message, review of terrain already traveled and a reminder of how far there is left to go. Well worked transitions do wonders for attentiveness, understanding and listener confidence.

Style of Delivery – Confidence is somewhat intangible. I’m not saying you should come across as arrogant or over-confident. However, there is a lot to be said for quiet confidence, for a calm assurance that you know what you are doing. Seek to overcome nervous habits, twitches, mannerisms, and so on. Avoid apologizing, even in jest, during the introduction. Make and maintain meangingful eye contact. If you have to use notes, use them well, but also consider not using them at all.

The preacher must build confidence in the listeners; confidence that the preacher knows the message, knows how it will progress and knows when it will end.

Getting to Grips with the Genres: Narrative (1)

/ Mike Roth / Leave a comment

Following-up on my 11/20 post, I will describe how biblical narrative functions and make some simple suggestions today. Tomorrow I will demonstrate its intended rhetorical impact using the story of David and Bathsheba.

Narrative is distinct in the way that it works as a type of literature. It employs plot to make its points. There are five parts to plot. “Introduction” is the first part. Introduction, introduces time and setting as well as the main characters. The stage is set in the introduction for the second part of plot to begin. “Inciting incident” is the second part of plot. In the inciting incident, some kind of problem or tension is set into motion that requires resolution. This problem or tension draws in the hearer and drives the plot forward. “Rising action” is the third part of plot. Rising action is usually the longest section of a plot. In this section, characters develop and tension builds. Rising action always leads to “climax.” Climax is the culminating point in the story. Here tension reaches its apex. “Resolution” is the final part of plot. In resolution, the result is harmony and happiness if it is comedy. The result is disharmony and sadness if it is tragedy.

Preaching suggestions for narrative:

– Tell the entire story. This ensures that you tell the story’s point, not your own.

– Faithfully develop the main characters. By this, I do not mean avoid any kind of imagination. Rather, I mean spend time imaging the main characters in ways that faithfully develop and highlight their parts in the plot.

– Allow the story itself to speak conviction, encouragement, exhortation, and comfort.

– Be careful not to kill the story by explaining it away. This is so easy to do in narrative! We treat it like an epistle and feel the need to explain every little thing. Let plot do the talking.

That Time Before You Speak

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Between the start of the service and the sermon, there are lots of dynamics at play in the mind and heart of a speaker. This is especially true, I think, when you are a visiting speaker. In your own church you have less surprises and sometimes more influence over the first part of the service. Here’s the start of a list of pre-sermon dynamics with a few thoughts. Perhaps you can add to the list.

1. The Clock – sometimes the biggest dynamic of all. Announcements take longer, song introductions take longer, sometimes everything takes longer. Which means? You are supposed to preach shorter. So on the one hand, you have to consider where to trim the message (trim support material, not major material or transition material). On the other hand you have to avoid getting stressed or annoyed (it easily shows and does not help!)

2. The Content – a lot is usually said and sung before the sermon. On the one hand you need to listen to it so that you can integrate any elements that really fit with the message. On the other hand you have a message to pray over and think through. And if I can borrow someone’s hand, for me there are often humorous comments that come to mind that should usually be discarded rather than shared!

3. The Speaker Introduction – it is amazing what people say right before the message. Be aware of it, but be careful not to try a quick response without having the time to think it through first, it may not come across as you intend.

4. The Service Mood – your humorous and witty introduction may not fit after the tone set by the music. Adapt. Of course, that could go the other way too.

5. Your Focus – you need to be aware of these things and others that may be added to the list. You also need to be aware of your message. But somehow in the midst of that you have the opportunity to be praying about it all as well.

I preached yesterday evening, and it went okay. But to be honest, I made mistakes in 1 (lost the strength of transitions), 2 (a great song that I didn’t note the lyrics for use in the message), and 3 (quick response that didn’t come off as intended). Make a note and learn for next time. A forever student of preaching.